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Retreats

Inspired by St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits, Georgetown University is rooted in a 500-year-old spiritual tradition. Key facets of this rich spiritual legacy include being “contemplatives in action,” living with gratitude, and finding God in all things.

We celebrate and share this unique spirituality here at Georgetown through a variety of retreats that welcome students of all faiths, backgrounds and beliefs. The retreats are fun and inviting, and offer space to reflect in the Ignatian tradition on meaning, belonging and purpose.

Seniors

Many Faiths, One Georgetown

Campus Ministry offers a variety of retreats rooted in particular faith traditions. These retreats provide students opportunities to grow in their faith, build community, and further their spiritual journeys.

Campus Ministry Retreats Payment Policy

The Office of Campus Ministry offers a wide range of retreats to students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Thanks to the generous support of donors, all Campus Ministry retreat fees are subsidized. Please contact the retreat organizer through Eventbrite if you need to request additional financial assistance.

Payment of Retreat Fees: All payments will be processed through the Eventbrite registration. Cash or checks will only be accepted under special circumstances.Refund Policy: Cancellations one week before the registration deadline can be refunded in full. Cancellation within a week or past the registration deadline will not be refunded unless another student takes the registration spot.

Request Financial Assistance: To request financial assistance please contact the director of the retreat through the link at the bottom of each Eventbrite page that reads “Contact Office of Campus Ministry”. You may also email directly the retreat organizer or chaplaincy.

Join a Georgetown tradition that has attracted more than 8,000 students over the past two decades! This overnight experience is designed as an “escape” from the Hilltop. For 27 hours, take the opportunity to meet new people, eat lots of good food, enjoy great music, and take a step back from the pressures of school.

ESCAPE is a non-denominational experience, open to students of all faith backgrounds and those who may not profess any particular faith. We are rooted in the Ignatian tradition of contemplation and care of the whole person, which animates the ESCAPE experience. ESCAPE’s Ignatian spirit invites students to reflect on where they are coming from, what gives meaning to their lives, and where they want to go during their years at Georgetown and beyond.

Inspired by St. Ignatius’ own story of meeting his best friends in college, Loyola is a Catholic weekend retreat welcoming all students in their first year at Georgetown who want to deepen their friendships and grow in their faith. Activities will include Jesuit and student reflections, small group discussions on topics related to first-year student life, great food and great company!

The community environment on all our retreats is always welcoming, reverent, loving and fun! So no matter where you are on your own faith journey, you are always welcome. We will offer opportunities for bonding with friends, reflection, conversations with Jesuits and chaplains, the sacrament of reconciliation, and Mass.

Inspired by the story of St. Ignatius of Loyola, Montserrat is a Catholic weekend retreat designed to help sophomores reflect more deeply on who they are and whom they want to be. The Benedictine shrine of Montserrat was one of Ignatius’ first stops in his own pilgrimage of faith. There he spent a night praying and reflecting on the mountaintop, and this intentional reflection ultimately set him on his course for the rest of his life.

Too often our lives are so busy - and we don’t take the time to stop and reflect on what brings true meaning to our lives. Rooted in Ignatian spirituality, this retreat will provide a space to reflect more deeply on questions of meaning, belonging and purpose.

Manresa is a small town in Spain where St. Ignatius spent ten months of his life spending hours in prayer and working at a hospice. While there, he began to discern which thoughts, feelings, and desires were leading him towards greater love of God and service to others, and which were distractions to his spiritual growth.

Inspired by this part of St. Ignatius’ story, Manresa is a Catholic weekend retreat designed to help juniors discern their feelings, thoughts, and desires and to learn and/or deepen habits of prayer. Through Jesuit and student reflections, relaxation, small group faith-sharing, and spiritual conversations, students will engage questions such as, “What are my gifts? What am I passionate about? Where can my gifts meet the world’s greatest needs?”

As with all of our Catholic retreats, all are welcome no matter where you may be on your own spiritual journey. St. Ignatius’ story applies to everyone! No prior retreat experience is necessary.

St. Ignatius received a vision at La Storta, near Rome, in 1537. He saw God place Ignatius with Christ carrying the cross. This vision inspired Ignatius to follow Christ more fully and to form the Society of Jesus.

Inspired by this part of Ignatius’ story which deepened Ignatius’ own calling to follow Christ, this retreat is designed to help seniors reflect on their own lives - where they have been these past four years at Georgetown, where are they now, and where are they going. Together with Jesuits, lay chaplains and student leaders, we will reflect on the question, “What might God be calling me to now?”

Rooted in the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola and the meaning of the Greek word Agape, the theme of this retreat is God’s unconditional love for each one of us. Together with Jesuits, lay chaplains and student leaders, we will reflect on questions such as, “How have I experienced God’s love? How have I responded to God’s love? What are my obstacles to God’s love? Where do I need healing, hope and renewal?”

Prayer in Daily Life is a weeklong on-campus individual retreat in the Catholic and Jesuit tradition. All undergraduate and graduate students, alumni, staff and faculty are welcome to participate, regardless of his or her faith tradition or retreat experience. Retreatants commit to a brief period of prayer each day in addition to meeting with a Chaplain or Jesuit for spiritual direction. The retreat opens and closes with refreshments at the Jesuit Residence and a time for individual and group prayer and reflection. This retreat is ideal for individuals seeking prayer and reflection amidst the business of daily life.

The Weekend Ignatian Retreat is a silent retreat based on the Examen, a prayerful reflection tool utilized by the founder of the Jesuits, St. Ignatius of Loyola. Retreatants are given the opportunity to reflect on God’s presence in their everyday lives through Chaplain reflections, optional spiritual direction, celebration of the Mass and moments for personal prayer and reflection. This retreat, in the Christian and Catholic tradition, is open to Georgetown graduate and undergraduate students, alumni, faculty and staff of all faiths.

The Five-Day Ignatian Retreat is a silent directed retreat based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits. A silent directed retreat is one in which retreatants maintain a prayerful silence and are accompanied by a spiritual director throughout the retreat. Each day retreatants meet one-on-one with a spiritual director, engage in personal prayer periods and listen to presentations on prayer from the spiritual directors. Additionally, Mass and the opportunity to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation are offered daily. Georgetown offers this retreat over winter and spring break for undergraduate and graduate students, alumni, faculty and staff.

As Senior Week and graduation approach, Senior Retreat has become a unique and rewarding tradition at Georgetown. On Senior Retreat students are given the space to process the past four years, the memories, the challenges and the changes of moving forward. Reflections are given by seniors and young alums to help provide the basis for group discussions and individual reflection/meditation. Social time and relaxation (like the wine & cheese and bonfire gatherings) are important parts of this retreat. This Catholic retreat is rooted in the universally applicable spirituality of St. Ignatius, making this retreat open to and easily enjoyed by students of any or of no proclaimed faith and by newcomers and veterans alike. The celebration of Mass and the opportunity for Reconciliation is available for all those who are interested.

Protestant students at Georgetown may find ample opportunity for retreats within Campus Ministry. Currently, Protestant Ministry hosts nearby, overnight retreats in the local DC area, Retreating from campus temporarily allows students to refresh and revitalize their spiritual life, while still remaining in community with others. Students are encouraged to take part in the various other retreats offered at Georgetown, including ESCAPE, Agape, reFRESHMENt, Interfaith, Senior retreat, etc.

Please contact protestantministry@georgetown.edu for more information.

Students RAVE about our bi-annual Shabbat retreats!
Leaving campus for a retreat center in the woods breathes new energy into everyone who participates. Retreats offers time for rest, reflection, and reconnection. Over delicious meals, s’mores on an open fire, torah study and hikes in the woods, our retreats build our community and foster strong new friendships. Shabbat retreats give students much-desired opportunities to take time out of their busy schedules to get to know one another, and perhaps themselves, a little better.

Muslim Retreats
The Muslim life organizes the following retreats for its students:

Fall and Spring Retreats: These are overnight retreats for those who want a time away from the Hiltop hoping to meet new friends, eat great food grilled by the Imam, and have a quality time to reflect, and grow in their faith. This retreat usually includes campfire, two talks, Qiyamul-lail and time to make friends. This retreat usually includes campfire, two talks, Qiyamul-lail and time to make friends.

Thanksgiving Retreat: This retreat is organized during Thanksgiving break by the Graduate MSA in the spirit of putting our faith into action. About 10 students participate in this retreat raising funds for shelters that offer food for the homeless or reconnect with the Non-Muslim neighbors.

Two retreats are held during the academic year, one an overnight retreat, the other a day retreat. In the fall, a retreat is held at the Bishop Clagett Center near Frederick, MD about an hour from campus on the Friday and Saturday before Thanksgiving. The Clagett Center is the retreat center for the Episcopal Diocese of Washington and provides a rural setting, giving everyone an opportunity to truly retreat. The retreat is meant to give the attendees a chance to relax and reflect on a rather intense time of the year on campus. We celebrate a Divine Liturgy on Saturday morning, and still have ample time for other activities. During Lent we hold a day long retreat on campus, also with a Divine Liturgy, a fellowship meal and a short excursion to a location of interest to Orthodox. All are welcome to attend our retreats and other activities throughout the year.

The Hindu Life retreat is a valuable opportunity for undergraduate students to venture outside the Georgetown bubble on an overnight experience where we will explore what it means to be Hindu in the USA today.

The Georgetown Buddhist Meditatoin Sangha retreats are a great oppurtunity to for students to re-center themselves, or to learn more about what Buddhism and meditation are about, especially in context of a busy student life at Georgetown. They typically include spending time connecting with nature during multiple outdoor meditation sessions, connecting with our bodies during walking meditation and mindful meals, as well as reflecting on what roles Buddhism and meditation can play in our lives through group discussions. We explore a variety of meditative and spiritual practices during the retreat, and invite participants to share their knowledge and experiences with the group. The retreats are open to all regardless of past meditation experience or religious tradition!